The federal government is rushing to spend nearly $7 million on a ­Medicare advertising campaign before caretaker period restrictions begin in about nine weeks time, it has emerged.

Department of Health officials appearing at a senate estimates ­hearing in Canberra on Wednesday said they were awaiting final ­government approval for a national campaign announced in the budget.

The campaign aims “to inform Australians about the benefits of Medicare and health related ­services".

It will cost $10 million over the next two years. Some $6.5 million is ­allocated for the current 2012-13 financial year, ending on June 30.

Departmental officials said this year’s campaign had been ­formulated and approved by the Independent Communications ­Committee but further information about the campaign could not be ­disclosed until it was approved by the Health Minister’s office.

The projected start date of the campaign has not been made public, but it will not be able to run beyond August 12, when writs are issued ahead of the September 14 federal election.

A spokesman for federal Health Minister
Tanya Plibersek
said the advertisements were still subject to finalisation.

In parliament on Tuesday, Ms Plibersek said the advertising would include “the new elements of ­Medicare – the GP after-hours line, the personally controlled e-health record and Medicare Locals".

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Liberal senator
Concetta Fierravanti-Wells
, who led the questioning in senate estimates, accused the ­government of spending the money as part of a “pre-election advertising blitz of signature government ­programs".

“The Minister is using the cloak of Medicare to try and hide their ­political advertising in the lead-up to September," Senator Fierravanti-Wells said.